When An Angel Falls
by helloancientescapes
Summary: No one thought Riley Matthews could fall, or just how hard she would fall. In which the gang is in high school and things change. Rated T because of angst.
1. Chapter 1

No one thought Riley Matthews could fall, or just how hard she would fall.

* * *

It happens roughly six months into her freshman year at high school. By then Lucas and Maya are happily dating, Zay is happy and Smackle finally transferred over to JQA High School. Everyone's happy, well except her.

When she and her friends went to high school something changed. Maya started to hangout with new people, Farkle and Smakle started to take on more classes, Lucas and Zay join the football team.

And Riley stayed the same. In the fist month she wasn't worried, her friends were sailing smoothly across the ocean that was high school an she was proud. Since her friends were always so busy, she took up photography.

(It was one of the best decisions she made in those six months.)

* * *

By the second month, she was a little more than slightly worried. Their group hardly hangs out, it's just that everyone's so busy.

Maya has her new friends and art club. Lucas has football and advance classes. Farkle and Smackle were in their own little word, filled with equations and big words she didn't understand. She and Zay are the only ones who hang out on a week-to-week basis.

She's so glad for that, he slowly was becoming her best friend. Not that Maya wasn't her best friend, but she was allowed to have another close friend, right?

(She starts to want to go back to middle school, everything was so much simpler.)

* * *

By the third month, Zay is the only one who knows where she is most of the time. He also knows that she's amazing with a camera, and goes with her to Central Park all the time. It was there when he asks her if she knew.

"Riley? Can I ask you a question?" His voice was almost fearful.

After taking a photo of the rocks in the shallow creek she turns to face Zay, "Sure? Is it something bad, becau-"

"Do you know if Maya and Lucas are dating?" He rushes out. She almost falls when she understands what he is saying.

"T-They are? I didn't know." She looks dow at the camera in her hands, "I'm happy for them. They deserve it." She refuses to acknowledge the tear sliding her face.

She's happy for them, really she is. They both deserve happiness and she always knew that the fire they had was stronger than some summer rain. She doesn't realize that she's sobbing until Zay is hugging her and telling her it's alright. But it's not alright because she lost both of them to each other.

(That's when she really starts to fall.)

* * *

By the fourth month she isn't talking to anyone, Zay tries but he just doesn't understand, so he takes a step back, even though he doesn't want to. Her camera is the only thing she interacts with. She stops eating as much as she used to, but that doesn't bother her. Neither does the worried looks her parents give her and to each other.

The only two things that bother her is how much she cries and how tired she is. The bags underneath her eyes seem to be getting darker everyday, which really isn't helping her self-esteem.

She doesn't see any of her old friend group until Maya knocks on her window at three in the morning.

Maya's crying, and Riley's heart breaks.

"Maya, what's wrong?" She asked her sister? Best friend? Riley wasn't sure where they stood, but Maya was Maya and she's Riley so she was to help right?

Maya tells her that she and Lucas got into a big fight and she didn't know where to go and Riley let's her complain and yell at the world.

She doesn't tell Maya that she really didn't care. Why would she? Maya, her best friend was talking to her, how could she give that up?

(She's eating less, smiling less, but she's crying more.)

* * *

By the fifth month, Riley is really close to the edge of the metaphorical cliff in her mind. Maya only comes to her when she and Lucas have a problem. Old Riley would've made them sit down and talk their differences out, but she isn't her anymore, so she let's Maya rant and yell about Lucas. Well majority of the time, sometimes she makes sure Maya doesn't see her so she can get some alone time from Maya. Her mom tries to talk to her more, but Riley pretends she's fine, Zay tries to talk to her too, but she pushes him away.

She pushes almost everyone away. She's just tired and wants sleep, but Maya's knocking on her window, crying again. She sighs and let's Maya in. Maya talks for a while and Riley listens, chiming in when Maya looked at her.

* * *

Things change in the sixth month.

Maya doesn't talk to her anymore, Lucas and her figured out what was wrong between them and were happily dating.

(It doesn't bother her, she swears.)

She saw Frakle and Smackle in the hallway and smiled for the first time in four months. They don't see her though, but that's okay too.

(It wasn't okay, but no one is making her fess up to the little white lies she tells herself.)

She doesn't see how much she's changed. Her parents do, though. Auggie does too, so he starts to leave her little presents that bring a smile to her face.

(It doesn't matter that she only smiles because he can see her.)

It does matter when, in the sixth month of her freshmen year, she found laying on her bathroom floor, sobbing about how no one needs her and that she hates herself. Sobbing about how she should just die, because no one will miss her.

Her dad is the one to find her. His heart breaks once he sees her, so he grabs her and hugs her like when she was five. She sobs into his shirt, only faintly aware of Auggie asking their dad if Riley was okay, and only slightly aware when he tells her mom to call the hospital.

* * *

She wakes up to a white room.

* * *

 **A/N: Hoped you enjoyed- MissFrancisSalazar**

 **Also:**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DONT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS; I JUST OWN THE PLOT!**


	2. Chapter 2

The white room was bright and she was drowsy, she falls back into a slumber.

* * *

When she wakes up for good, she wakes up to hear her mother sniffing. She feels terrible, but her mom's smile when she saw that her baby girl was awake was brighter than the sun, so she smiled back. She looked around the room and saw that she was in the hospital, connected to machines.

"Sweetie? How are you feeling?" Her mom gentle voice asked her.

She doesn't know why she's crying, but she does know that she is. "Mommy, I-I'm so, so, so sorry! I-I didn't m-mean to worry you." She's sobbing into her mom's shirt and her mom's rocking her like she used to when Riley had horrible nightmares as a kid. "I just felt so _alone._ And I felt like no one _needed_ me and I don't know. Ever since high school started everything just seemed so _different._ Mom, what's _wrong_ with me?"

"Oh Riles, nothing. Nothing is wrong with you, okay? You've been going through a tough time, and I'm sorry we didn't notice it earlier." It's not her mom who answers her, but her dad. And he has Auggie.

"Augs?" Her voice cracked, but that's all needed and suddenly she has her arms full with her younger brother who's telling her that he was _so_ worried, and that he knew she was going to be okay. That brings a real smile to her face. It hurts though, she wasn't used to it, but she smiles for the first time in months.

(That's all that matters.)

By the second month Riley is at home, but she hasn't seen any of her friends, except for Zay. She doesn't want to see the others. Zay tries to understand that, he tries his best, but he just doesn't get it. They want to see her, why doesn't she want to see them? She tells him on one of their many trips to Central Park.

"Why?" He asked her. They're walking, and eating hot dogs, which had made Zay happy to see Riley eating.

"Because Zay, I just _can't._ I get that they want to see me, I get that, okay? But it doesn't change the fact that they left me. They left me and only talked to me when it benefited them. Hell, Maya only talked to me when her and Lucas had a problem, she didn't even _notice_ that I was drowning." She speaking a little too loudly, but at least she was getting things off her chest. "And then they want to see me after what _they did_ because what? Because they feel bad? Well I'm so goddamn sorry, but no. I'm not letting myself go back to that place."

(He drops it after that.)

* * *

By the third month, Riley's almost back to her old self. Her family and Zay have never been so proud. She's eating more, smiling more, and talking more. but she still hasn't seen the others. Auggie and Riley are closer now, and her parents support her even more. Their family actually benefited from her fall from grace.

(Her laugh hasn't come back yet, but her family is sure it's the next thing to come back.)

Her hope is actually the next thing to come back, her laugh follows after that. Riley decides it weird to be hopeful again after what she went through, but it felt more weird not to be hopeful. It felt good to hope, to laugh again Riley decides. She tells her family about her having hope in the world, and Auggie and Ava scream out in happiness. She smiles again, having hope was a good thing.

* * *

It's a little while later when her mom and dad come to speak with her.

"Riley does this mean you're going to talk to them?" Her dad breaks the silence first.

"I haven't decided yet. I think I might want to." She answers hesitantly.

"So you're giving them a chance?" Her mom's voice has hope in it.

"I'm giving them a chance to explain, it doesn't mean I want to be friends again." She corrects her mom.

(She's nervous to talk to them.)

* * *

Zay sets up the meeting, and she makes him stay with her. She's fairly sure she's cutting off circulation in his hands that Riley's holding but she's nervous. Her feet are tapping the floor, and her heart is beating fast.

"Darlin'? You okay there?" Zay gives her a reassuring smile.

"What? Yeah, I think so. What time is it?" Riley smiled back nervously.

"It's two." It's not Zay who answers her, but Farkle. Her breath catches in her throat. "We _are_ on time right? You said two?"

Riley nods, but she isn't looking at him, or the others. She can't.

"Honey?" She can hear the heartbreak in Maya's voice.

"Peaches?" She gave in, and ran to hug her former best friend. She was still pissed, but she missed her friend. A lot.

"I'm sorry," Maya's voice rang loud and clear, "I'm so sorry. I never meant- I didn't know. Oh God, I'm sorry." Maya rambled and Riley put a hand up to stop her.

"Why don't we all sit down?" Riley messed with her hands, "Um, so what's up?" She finished lamely. The silence that followed has awkward to say the least.

"Man, y'all sure know how to make a room quiet." Zay spoke up.

"Riley, why didn't you tell me? Or someone?" Maya asked.

"Why? Why?" Her voice harden into anger when she heard the question why, "Because everyone else was too busy to see that I was drowning. Not even you did, Maya. I let you guys leave your own life, make new friends, get a _boyfriend,_ I even let you cry on my shoulder because that's what _friends_ do. They _help_ each other, not forget them as soon as the next set of people come into their life." Riley was practically yelling at them, reigning in her anger she spoke again, quietly this time, "I expected you to see me, why didn't you see me, Maya?" She was crying now, they both were. "I understand that Lucas doesn't know me as well as you do, but Maya, Farkle? How could you not see me?"

"Riley, I-" Farkle began, "I'm sorry, I know I should've done something and I didn't. I don't know how I let my sun turn cold, I'm sorry." Farkle was looking at her with desperation, desperation for her to understand, wanting her to know he was going to be there for her from now on.

"Riley, I don't know! I was finally happy, my grades were good, I made new friends and yeah I go a boyfriend," She looked at Lucas, "I guess I was finally happy my life was going great, that I forgot who helped me to get there." Maya was crying, "But I'll throw away everything because I am so sorry. I miss my bestfriend, I don't want to lose her again."

"Lucas, Maya I don't want you both to break up, I could never want that. You're happy with each other and I could never take that away from you. Never." She looked to Zay, who gave her an encouraging nod, "Listen if we're going to be friends again, things are going to change. I can't go through this all over again, okay?"

Lucas is the first to answer, "Of course, Riley I'm sorry that we made you feel like what you felt like, I didn't-"

Riley cut him off, "Things are going to be different now."

* * *

Riley went to bed smiling.

* * *

 **SO SORRY ABOUT THE LATE UPDATE BUT HERE IT IS!**


	3. Chapter 3

It takes another two months for her to fall again. No one saw it coming, not her parents or her friends. Riley on the other hand, she had an inkling of it. If she had to guess, it would be because the group expected her to suddenly be fine again. But she wasn't and it becoming more apparent throughout their group hangouts. She tried her hardest to be the girl that they expected her to be, but she just wasn't anymore. She wasn't the girl that would look when told there was a bird, not anymore.

* * *

In the first month before her second fall, the group was okay. They were hanging out again, hell they even had a group chat again. Riley was fine. Mostly, it still hurt to see her best friend happy with her first ever crush, but she _was_ happy for them. They were amazing together; they were fire. Maya was happy and so was Lucas, they were happy together. That's all Riley wanted, for her friends to be happy. And they were; all of them.

Riley's happiness was put on the backburner, though. It wasn't like the group meant to do it, but old habits die hard. But Riley wasn't worried, they had promised her that a change would happen, and change takes time, right? So Riley waited, and waited for the change. Sometimes, she thinks it already happened, and she didn't notice. But she smiles anyways, her friends are back, and she's _happy_. It doesn't matter that her smile is a little more forced, right?

(It does, but Riley just wants things to go back to normal again.)

* * *

It was in the second month when Farkle and Zay notice, though it's a little late.

It happened at their regular hangout place, Topanga's. Riley is fiddling with her camera, showing pictures to Zay and Farkle, smiling and laughing at Zay's questions.

("No, Zay! That isn't _Mrs. Digger,"_ Riley snorts.

"Are you sure about that, Riles?" Zay asks again.

"Yeah, it does kinda look like her, she even has the dress on!" Farkle backs him up.

"You two are _unbelieveable!_ ")

It wasn't until Riley realizes that half of the group isn't there, she finally realizes that _they_ haven't changed. But Smackle is at a debate, and Maya and Lucas are somewhere? That's when the sadness begins again. Maya lied. She isn't there and she gave Riley false hope. Riley believed Maya again and now Riley thinks she made a mistake.

Riley must've shown something on her face, because Zay and Farkle are giving her concerned looks, and _are you okay?_ But she lies and says she's fine, because she is.

(Another white lie on her list.)

* * *

Her fall becomes more apparent after that particular hangout with Farkle and Zay. She isn't the same, and it seemed like the further she got from her old self, the further she felt from Maya. Maybe things had changed to much for it become better, maybe she won't ever get better.

Riley sat in her bathtub, silently crying, trying to resist the pull to the pills in her dad's drawer. Closing her eyes shut she puts her head in between her knees, hoping to block out the vicious thoughts in her head, _no one needs you, not Maya, no one._

"Stop," A shaky whisper breaks through her sobs, "Stop! Stop!" She's pulling at her hair, banging on the bathtub, just trying to make sure she doesn't get to those damn pills. She's breathing hard, her sobs are getting louder and all she wants are those pills. Her thoughts are echoing, she just wants it all to stop.

"Just make it stop, please," Riley isn't sure if she's talking to herself or to anyone who passes the bathroom, but she needs help. She made a promise to Auggie, and she _can't break that promise._ She just can't do that to Auggie. She's dragged back into her thoughts, blind and deaf to outside world. She's still sobbing and banging on the bathtub, but she hasn't reached for the pills.

Gasping for air, Riley opens her eyes and grabs the first thing she can touch. It's a razor. Her gasps for air stop as she touches the cool metal of the razor. Lifting her head from her knees, she sits in silence, gazing at the razor, contemplating the consequences if she were to put that razor on her skin. She begins to wonder if it was a bad idea to actually do it, put the razor on her skin. No one would know, right? No one has to know.

Frantically shaking her head no, she throws the razor on the floor. Her sobs became louder, she starts to pull at her hair again; her thoughts are ruining her.

"Riley?" Her head snaps up to the bathroom door, she hadn't heard anyone come in. The door knob shakes, "Riley? Open the door, please," Farkle? It couldn't be him.

"I'm worried, Riles please?" His voice breaks on her nickname. _You screwed up again, he's worried about you. It's always about you, isn't it?_ Then she's sobbing again. The doorknob is shaking again and Farkle's banging on the door now. There's more yelling, and the next thing she knows Farkle and Zay are in her bathroom, looking at her as if she was a scared animal.

They ask her a question, but it doesn't sound real, she tries to tell them that she doesn't understand when she feels stickiness on her left hand. Looking down at her hand she sees blood. She sobs louder.

("I didn't mean to! I don't, I don't know. Just make it stop, please,")

Farkle tells something to Zay, maybe to go call her dad? She isn't sure, but then he's in the bathtub with her, pulling her into his arms.

"Shhhh, Riles. It's okay, _you're_ okay," He's smoothing down her hair, and whispering to her that she can cry, that it's okay to cry. That he doesn't expect her to be the old her, that he just wants her happy, like he always wanted her to be.

(She falls asleep in his arms, but she wakes up in her bed, alone.)

* * *

They don't talk about what happened for a long while. She doesn't bring it and neither do they. But something changed between the three of them, and Riley isn't sure what exactly what changed.

(It scares her a little though. Not that she'll tell anyone.)

It's not until two months later when they do talk about it. They're at Topanga's when Zay accidentally brings up the fact that Riley is on new medication for her depression and anxiety. It goes a little like this:

They, the whole group, were sitting around the coffee table just talking, well in Riley's case just listening to everyone else, when Zay seems to remember something.

"Hey, uh, Riles?" Zay starts, and Riley has a sinking feeling in her gut.

"Yeah Zay?" _Please don't let it be about what I think it's going to be about, please._

"You took your medication, right?" Riley shaked her head at him, "What? I'm just worried about you," It isn't until Farkle smacks him on the head that Zay seems to realize his mistake.

"New medication? Peaches?" Maya asks her.

"It's _nothing_ Maya!" Riley tries to explain it to Maya.

" _Nothing?_ Sure didn't seem like nothing," Farkle mutters.

"What the _hell_ is that supposed to mean, Farkle?" Riley angrily asks him.

" _What the hell is that supposed to mean?_ It means I was worried that you'd do something stupid! Don't think I didn't see the razor," He's standing and so is she. She's never seen him so angry, but _why the hell was he so angry?_

"Razor?" Lucas jumped into the conversation.

"Riley, are you okay?" Smackle, the only one who saw that Riley was slightly tensing up.

"Why don't we all calm down?" Zay tries but to no avail.

"Stay out of this Zay!" Maya snaps at him.

"Excuse me? _I_ need to stay out of it? I've been more of a friend to Riley than you've been these past few months!" Zay throws back into her face.

Riley, who had been in a glaring contest with Farkle, couldn't take the yelling and the anger, grabbed her stuff and left Topanga's.

(She didn't leave because she couldn't take everyone yelling, she left because she couldn't stand the look Farkle gave her.)

(But she won't tell anyone that either.)


	4. Chapter 4

After leaving Topanga's Riley ended up going home, only to grab her camera, and then she was off to Central Park. Taking pictures in Central Park was her escape, she got away, but at the same time she didn't. Taking pictures distanced herself from her problems, but not the world. It was a feeling she relished in. Looking through a camera lens gave Riley a new perspective on things, she saw a world that could be stopped for a second, and in that second the world was happy. If Riley were to explain why she liked that feeling she would say that it was the closest she felt to being old Riley.

(She misses her old self.)

Riley was in Central Park for hours, because by the time she decides to go to home it's pretty dark out. When she gets home, she realizes that she should've told someone where she was going. Her mom and dad are sitting at the kitchen with both their phones on the table. They look up when they hear the door close, the relief on both of their faces makes Riley realize a ton of things. One being that she did it again, she made them worry about her.

(The thought weighs her down.)

"Sorry, I should've called," She isn't looking at them, she feels too guilty.

"We were so worried!" Her dad tells her before she's engulfed in a bear hug by both her parents.

"I'm sorry. It's just that, uh, there was an argument between all of us at Topanga's and I just had to _leave._ I'm really sorry for making you worry about me,"

"Riley?" Her little brother asks from the other side of the living room.

"Hey Auggie, I'm sorry for not telling anyone where I was," She apologised to him.

Then he's hugging her, telling her that he wasn't _that_ worried because she made a promise and he just _knew_ that she would keep her promise. That brings a real smile to her face.

She doesn't know how long her family sat in the middle of the living room, just hugging each other, but she does know that she feels a little less broken.

When she goes to her room, she smiling, but when she enters her room, she stops smiling. Farkle, Maya, Lucas, Zay, and Smackle are waiting for her.

"Do my parents know you guys are in here?" She questions them.

"No," Smackle answers her. The rest of the group looks down, as if they were ashamed.

"I, I mean _we_ , wanted to tell you that we're sorry. _I'm_ sorry Riles," Farkle looks her straight in the eye while he apologizes for the group.

(She won't tell anyone that maybe, just _maybe_ , her heart skipped a beat when her brown eyes met his blue ones.)

"Riley, I _know_ I said I would change, and I haven't come through but I swear to whatever higher power there is that I _will._ I miss you! I'm _sorry,_ " Maya pleads with her best friend.

"I-" Riley gets out before she starts to cry. "I _miss_ you too," The former best friends hugged each other, just like old times.

"We messed up, Riley. I'm sorry that we did that to you. You know that you're easily one of the most important person to us?" Lucas spoke up. It wasn't a conventional apology but he told her something that she needed to be reassured of. _She was important to them._

(She always was, but that thought never occurred to her.)

"Darlin' I didn't mean to out you, but I was worried and all," Zay tries to explain, moving his hands around in the air.

"I am sorry too," Smackle begins, "We made you feel inferior and unimportant, and for that I apologize,"

There's a moment of silence before Riley speaks, "I," She swallows the lump in her throat, "I forgive you. But I _can't_ just pretend I'm okay anymore! I'm not the old Riley, I haven't been in such a long time. I," She looks at her hands, turning them over, "I just don't think you guys realize that. I've _tried_ being her! God, I've tried so hard! But I'm just _not_ her anymore. I'm broken,"

"Riley," Maya speaks up.

Riley shakes her head at Maya, "No, I _am_. I've accepted it. I have a _long_ way to go before I'm anywhere near okay. But I _need_ you guys to just understand that! I'm not okay, and I need all of you to tell me it's okay not to be okay! Because I'm _trying_ so hard to be okay! I need you guys to be okay with that. Please," Her voice broke but she continued on, "Please just be there for me! Don't make empty promises. Don't change for a week and then go back to way things were. I can't handle that, not anymore,"

"Anymore?" Smackle questioned.

"What do you think pushed me to the edge?" Riley let out a sad chuckle.

(It hit her like a ton of bricks, they didn't even know that they pushed her to the edge of the cliff, and with every broken promise, made the edge crumble beneath her.)

The silence after her question was deafening. The looks of despair and silent anger, at who, Riley couldn't guess, told her all she needed to know.

"You really didn't know, did you?"

More silence. Riley looked away from them, trying to hold back her tears.

"Us?" Maya's broken voice tore away at the silence. At Riley's nod Maya begins to cry.

"Riley, uh," Farkle speaks up, "I am _so_ sorry," His voice breaks too, and next thing Riley knows is that everyone is crying.

Riley feels guilty again, she made them cry. All because she didn't know how to tell them how she was feeling towards them. It's her fault, again. _Why is it always her damn fault?_ She never meant to make them cry, but she _needed_ them to know how she felt.

Maya, still sobbing, grabbed Riley and hugged her, making Riley snap out of her thoughts. Then Lucas hugged the two girls he said he would protect. Smackle soon follows that, Zay joins the hug right after Smackle. Farkle is the last to join the hug. The wind up on the floor, but something about it makes her laugh.

Then everyone's laughing, just like old times.

(Riley feels a little less broken after the impromptu meeting in her room.)

* * *

It was an ordinary Friday night, the group was at her apartment, and she was snuggled into the Maya's side. They were watching _Star Wars:Episode II, Attack of the Clones,_ Riley getting a little hungry got up to get some popcorn for the group. Maya shot her a confused look, and started to get up with Riley, but at Riley's head shake no she sat back down and stole the blanket off of her boyfriend, Lucas. Chuckling at Maya's antics, she went into the kitchen to make the popcorn. As she waited for the popcorn to be done, she reflected over the past two months. Ever since the argument at Topanga's and her speech, things had gotten better. Everyone had actually kept their promise to her, Riley wasn't upset with Maya's relationship with Lucas, and she had grown closer to everyone. She was happy, and loved, and it showed. Her passion for photography grew, with support of her family and friends, she ended her freshman year with amazing grades, and she was happy. She didn't feel broken.

 _She didn't feel broken._

"Riles?" Someone asked her, concern lacing their voice.

"I don't feel broken," She whispered, not loud enough so anyone could hear. The movie faded into the background, and she could only focus on the fact that she didn't feel like broken glass. Instead she felt as if the quote she once heard, " _My skin has turned to porcelain, to ivory, to steel."_ very much so applied to her.

"What?" Riley looked up into Farkle's blue eyes.

"I-I don't feel broken," She tells him, a small smile gracing her face.

"Huh?" Blue eyes searched her face, looking for answers.

"I don't feel broken!" Her smile became much wider, and tears welled up in her eyes. She threw herself into his arms and laughed happily.

"I'm not broken!" She said louder, catching the attention to everyone else in the living room. Riley could hear the rest of friends walking over to her.

"Honey?" Maya questioned, her voice holding hope.

"I don't feel broken, Maya," She turned to her best friend, smiling even wider. Maya's face showed the pure unadulterated joy she was feeling, she then sunk to her knees and hugged Riley. The girls both laughed into the others hair.

"I knew you'd be okay," Maya whispered into her ear.

Riley smiled a little brighter, and laughed, happy to be in a place where she was okay.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, so this is the last chapter of this story! I decided to keep it short and sweet, but don't worry I have an epilogue for you! But thanks to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed! If you want more Sad!Riley, go checkout my other story, Goodbye, I Loved You.**

 **Thanks for everything guys! If you ever want to get into contact with me, my pm is open, and you can tweet me robinsredhood!**

 **Love you all**

 **MissFrancisSalazar**


	5. Epilogue

EPILOGUE

((The first time Riley fell from grace she landed on the floor, and like glass she broke. It wasn't pretty, and it shocked everyone who knew Riley Matthews, the girl with the perfect life. It shocked her. She was viewed as an angel by most people, and when she fell from grace, well it changed a lot of things. The second time she fell from grace she landed in Farkle's arms, but she cut him deep. Deep enough to draw blood, and he wasn't the only one she cut. She cut everyone she knew, and everyone she knew bleed because of her. Her friends and family had put her on a pedestal, and slowly inched her to the edge. But they expected her not to fall, like gravity wouldn't want to pull her down. She didn't expect her friends to change, she didn't expect to be happy. She thought she would always be falling on the ground, getting up, thinking she was on stable ground only to fall once more. She expected that the broken glass she had become would make her bleed out. She expected that everyone would stop caring that she bleeding out, only to protect themselves from the dangerous glass she had become.))

((But she come a long way since then, she still battled herself on more than one occasion and she sometimes would stand in her bathroom, pills in hand, and with thoughts plaguing her. She always put those pills away, sometimes only because she made a promise to her brother, Auggie, sometimes for herself. But those moments didn't happen often, not anymore. Not with her family and friends supporting her. She still had moments of doubt, but she pushed past them. She always did. Riley Matthews may not be the girl with the perfect life, but she was Riley Matthews, the girl who defeated depression. That was a title she wore proudly.))

* * *

Riley Matthews looked up from her journal smiled at her best friend, Maya Friar, from across the coffee table.

"Peaches! How've you been?" Concern laced her voice.

"Pregnant," Came her flat reply. Riley laughed lightly, and got up to help Maya sit down.

"How's the baby? Has he been active a lot lately?" At her question Maya sighed loudly.

"He?" She asked.

"I know the baby's a boy! I just know it!" Riley defended herself.

"Oh Honey, the baby's a girl," Maya disagreed with her, "Anyways, to answer your question, _she's_ been very active. It's like she can't wait to see the world,"

"Maya! Riley!" Isadora Smackle-Babineaux rushed up to their table, "I'm so sorry I'm late, Zay didn't set the alarm," She explained as she sat down at the table.

"It's fine, Smackle, anyways Maya just got here," Riley calmed her down.

"Oh good, how's the baby?" Smackle asked Maya.

"She's fine," Maya laughed, "Just a little too active," The girls shared a laugh.

"How's work treating you, Smackle?" Riley asked the other brunette.

"I love it so much! I love being a professor, teaching young adults, I love it all," Smackle laughed lightly, "What exactly have you been up to, Mrs. Riley Minkus?"

At her name, she laughed, "We aren't married yet, Smackle. But I do have news," She smiled softly at the two girls that have become sisters to her.

"Yet?" Smackle asked with a growing smile.

"He asked you to marry him! Didn't he?" Maya excitedly asked.

Riley smiled brightly at them, and showed them her left hand.

"He did ask me," She laughed happily, "You know I never thought I would be sitting here,with my best friend, married and pregnant, and with my other best friend, married and adopting a kid. And me, getting married to the guy I've loved since I was in high school. I never thought I would get that. I never thought that I would be happy after everything that happened nearly eight years ago. I have a career in photography, and friends who love me. I never thought I would be as happy as this," She smiled at her left hand.

"You deserve all the happiness in the world, Riley," Smackle laid her hand on Riley's right arm, and smiled gently.

"I'm glad you're happy, Riley. I really am," Maya cleared her throat, "Anyways, tell us all about the proposal,"

"It was perfect," Riley sighed happily.

(She wouldn't stop smiling after her breakfast with her best friends, or for the rest of the day.)

(It's a good thing that when Farkle Minkus sees her at their home, he couldn't stop smiling either.)

* * *

((When Riley Matthews fell from grace in her freshmen year of high school, she didn't think anyone would care. But she was wrong, the people that mattered the most to her did. She hadn't realized that her family would try. Even though it had taken them a couple of times to get it right, they did. That's what mattered the most. Riley Matthews fell from grace, but she got up. Then she fell again, she got up, stood her ground, and had her friends with her.))

* * *

A/N: That's all folks! Thanks for reading and following and reviewing. It meant a lot!


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